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Tuesday, August 26, 2008

It's the middle of the night, I am supposed to be sleeping as I've yet to wake up very early tomorrow to bring my daughter to school. Then I hear the old familiar rumble, my tummy is getting hungry. My thoughts began to suddenly drift to my favorite meal whenever I'm at a mall during my Canadian trips, more particularly in Calgary. There's a fast food stall in malls called Edo Japan, which makes a similar meal as that of the Mongolian Stop here in the Philippines, but with the sauce way, way better tasting. You get to choose your viand, whether it be pork, beef or mixed seafood, then they put in rice, mushroom and veggies together with your viand, and top it off with a special yummy sauce.Here's a picture of it, courtesy of my brother who sent me this photo when I was complaining about being hungry while chatting with my mom over web cam in the middle of the night, while they were in Canada and I'm here in the Philippines. Thanks a lot for making my tummy grumble even louder and for shoving the fact that I can't eat one at the moment.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

The other day I was busy washing the dishes, I hadn't really been paying attention to what my daughter was asking for. I was in a hurry because I still have to finish a lot of things, and slowly, my daughter's request to eat some doughnuts were ranging in a little closer to my flying mind. Still, it wasn't loud enough as the random thoughts of tasks clouding over my head was trying to drone away the nagging little voice coming from my right ear. I was stressing out, my mind was trying to run over the things I had to accomplish before the day ends, and in extension, the things that I must remember to do by next morning.

Next thing I know, after I've finished washing the last of the dinner plates, I saw my daughter sitting in front of the living room tv, watching her usual dose of Playhouse Disney channel. In her right hand, she was holding a doughnut which she probably have gotten on her own from wherever the doughnut was. And what surprised me more was what she held on her left hand. Let me tell you, our dish rack is seated at the top shelf, way higher than what my daughter can reach. But in her hand, she was holding a pink plastic plate, serving as a catchall for crumbs. I asked her where she had gotten it. Her answer touched my heart, "I got it from my toy shelf mommy, so I won't leave a mess when I eat my doughnut, so you won't get tired from cleaning."

Here I am, worrying about work, not minding my daughter, and there she was, instead of feeling neglected, she was thinking about my welfare. We kind of flipped roles there, I think. Her answer made me stop and look at her, and after a feeling of awe, I smiled, kissed her face a hundred times, and whispered "thank you" and "I love you" in her ear, to which she replied "I love you mommy, you want some doughnut?". I thank God for these kinds of moments which make me stop and reflect on some of the more important things in life. I thank God for these reminders which make me stop rushing and thrive in the warmth and comfort of the moment.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Do you sometimes feel that you're going through life with all the stress slowly making an imprint on your supposedly youthful face. More than the important and large tasks that we need to accomplish for the day, it's those little minute details, those seemingly small but urgent tasks that eat about 80% of your to-do list, that makes you want to run for the dark cave up the hill and hibernate for 6 months.

Though technically easy to carry out, the fact that they nag you the whole day, jumping out of your diary or organizer, shouting URGENT! PAY NOW! LAST DAY! DEADLINE TODAY! makes you feel like your mind is being chased by the bullet train, leaving you exhausted more than necessary. They come in little packages giving the illusion of simple, effortless jobs or errands or chores, you'll just be surprised to be looking at the clock and realizing that the day is almost over, but your tasks are nowhere even half done.

You know those business diaries you can get from the local bookstores, I have one of those. I don't buy those that have two or three days allotted for each page. I look for the ones that have just one day per page, all to itself. Heck, I wish they would make 2 pages for each day, so that I could fit in all the little tasks, without having to attach more post-it notes for mid-day additional errands.

But sometimes, the list seems to go on forever. At the end of the day, you find yourself listing the undone tasks once more for the next day. 24 hours would hardly suffice the exaggerated number of minuscule chores, and you wonder how something so little and easy can eat up your whole day. I do know, though, that I have to allot some time for myself for me to be renewed and thus be more efficient to take on all the tasks. It's finding the time for me that posts more of a challenge.

Let's see, there's the bills I have to pay, the checks I have to issue, the deposits and withdrawals I have to make, the papers I have to file, the letter envelopes I have to open and segregate, the accounting and payroll reports I have to review, the clients I have to call, the business prospects I have to meet, the meetings I have to attend, the rental inquiries I have to answer, the ads I have to post and update, the demand and collection letters I have to sign, the delinquent lessees I have to talk to, the production inventory I have to follow up, the purchase orders I have to approve. Ok, this will probably take all night, and that's not even mentioning the big important tasks.

Let's go on to the homemaker part. I have to go to the supermarket for household supplies, order food to be delivered (did I mention I don't cook?), wash the dishes, clean up the house (damn, I hate those ants), do the laundry, fold and put away the washed clothes, return my daughter's toys on the shelves, wash and bathe my daughter, help her with her homework, feed her, prepare her school things for the next day (my husband's household task is to play with her, hmmm... mind trading places, dear?), check my e-mails, update my blog, drop some EC, read some posts, visit those nice enough to leave comments, look up ways to earn online, dare I go on? I fear not, I am about to succumb to my beckoning bed, with its springs about to be sprung, the culprit of which, my lady toddler jumping away to the beat of whatever theme song is playing on the Playhouse Disney channel (remind me to buy a new mattress, and fast, lest I plan to visit my orthopedic doctor for my aching back).

Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining of these tasks which help me create business, which means income, and the time I spend being a wife and mother, I just feel there aren't enough hours in a day to accomplish all these, much more give you some breathing room within the day to relax and collect yourself. With all these in tow, I definitely need my reading time, it's the one thing that keeps me sane (and shopping of course, that does the job too!).

Monday, August 11, 2008

Remember when one of your relatives came to you and asked for financial help, sure you want to help but are having second thoughts about it, with everything increasing in price, even the basic necessities, you don't want to be the one caught in a tight budget later on. Then you begin to go over several excuses in your mind- you also need the money, you have to pay for your son's tuition, you also have medical bills to pay, you have loans long over due. And you list reasons in your mind for not lending the money- this is the 10th time your relative has borrowed money, out of the ten, he has only paid three times, you are planning on celebrating your month long hard work by going on a little shopping spree, you feel that your relative depends on you too much and too often, you feel that you have no obligation to provide for them financially or otherwise.

I remember one time when one of our employees came up to my dad to borrow money for his son's tuition, my dad got some money from his wallet and handed it out to him. I asked him why he lent money again, when he still has not yet fully paid his last cash advance. He told me that I should just be glad that I'm the one who has something to give rather than be the one who has none and still has to look for someone who will.

Whatever your reason (or excuse for that matter), the best thing to think about and do first is be grateful. Be grateful that you are not the one needing the money, be grateful that you are not the one in their shoes, and be grateful that you're on the giving end and not on the asking end.

This is not to say that you have to give everything nor always. It's also your right to leave some for yourself, but if you do have something extra like time or money or knowledge or stuff, it's better to share than to keep them all to yourself. Be grateful for your blessings and a good way of showing gratitude is for you to share them with others. And you'll be pleased to know that blessings are like smiles, the more you give, the more you get in return.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

"People who try to become rich by being cheap are people who often try to live below their means, rather than finding ways to expand their means."

- Rich Dad (The Business SchoolFor People Who Like Helping Peopleby Robert Kiyosaki)

This could not be more true. Although written for a book about the values of a network marketing business, I'd like to point out one more area of its importance.

I believe that it's better for you to find ways to improve, to expand and to grow rather than forcing yourself to live within the confines of your limitations and weaknesses, don't you think. Personally, I feel that in order to have abundance in your life, you should feel and live abundantly. This is not to say that you should waste money nor be careless of your finances, but if you live your life always with the mindset that you have to do some penny pinching in order to survive, chances are, you'll be penny pinching all your life until you change the way you think. More often than not, being cheap will not make you rich but will only leave you feeling poor, and that feeling and way of thinking will continue to manifest in your life, entangling you in a vicious cycle. It all boils down to the same law that governs everything, the Law of Attraction.

You need not feel guilty with a little shopping splurge once in a while if that would make you feel good and boost your morale. The key is to think about shopping in a different light. Instead of seeing it merely as an expense, try to think of it as an investment for self-confidence and self-improvement. Let's say for example you dream about being a businessman successful enough to associate with other tycoons, would you be able to do that wearing a t-shirt and jeans? I think not, so you go ahead and buy a classy outfit that would be more appropriate for the occasion, right? And going ahead and buying that dress leaves you feeling happier, more confident and those positive feelings will then retain in your mind, which in turn will help in the manifestation of your dream, hence Power of Positive Thinking and still the Law of Attraction.

How about a mother who's also a career woman, a wife and homemaker. Everyday she juggles her work, her chores, her wifely duties and attending to her children's needs. There's a saying that for you to love others, you first have to love yourself. In order for you to take care of others, you must first take care of yourself. Instead of feeling guilty in occupying an hour or two in one's week for some R&R or a visit to the spa, view it as an investment which makes you feel good and happy, and therefore, you have the positive energy to fill up once more your love jar, enabling you to once again attend to your family and work, refreshed and renewed.

And so all this "spending" can be positive, by thinking of it as unquantifiable investments. And when you do think of it this way, you will begin to see the importance of expanding your means to accomodate these necessary expenditures rather than depriving yourself of these, robbing you of a life you deserve.